by S. J. Braden
“Mrs. Maden,”
“Bee! I’m divorcing that man next week and getting rid of that name. If you just can’t bring yourself to call me Bee, call me Ms. Coleman please.”
“Alright, Bee, we appreciate your willingness to help us with this case. But are those cookies for real? Because there are grown men federal agents in your living room fluffing pillows. If there isn’t any illegal or magical ingredients in those cookies, could I have the recipe?”
Laughing, Bee said, “Oh silly girl, of course, there is no magic ingredient in the cookies. Leave me your email address and I’ll send you the recipe. The magic that has those men in touch with their feminine side is a little splash of lavender in the lemonade. Shhh, don’t tell them. A little lavender just seems to bring a measure of sophistication to any scenario. And that tip was free, honey. Try it on your man tonight, then you can email me back about how well it works.”
“Well, I’m working tonight, and actually there is no man, I just thought it was a miraculous thing. I almost wish I had a video of it, but I think they are about done.”
“Oh, come with me, sugar. I’ll fix you up. But what do you mean, there’s no man?”
Isabel followed Bee down a hallway behind the kitchen to a small closet in the back of a study and marveled over her desire to open up to this woman.
“I suppose I work too much to meet a good man. Most of the ones I come in contact with are either co-workers or criminals.”
“Indeed, your profession isn’t one made for finding marriage material. But here, take this tape, you can have some fun at least.”
Bee handed Isabel, what could only have been a tape from a closed circuit tv system because Isabel could see a bank of monitors with footage from all the rooms of the house. She couldn’t help herself.
“Lady Justice please forgive me,” and she laughed and laughed all the way back to the kitchen, her hand protectively over her bag holding the mini surveillance tape.
Chapter 53
The three women disembarked from the aircraft and their strides indicated they were on a mission. Of course, in actuality, they were on multiple missions.
They wanted to see their men and be reassured they were all okay, they wanted to help find their new friend Colleen, and Sarah Frances and Abby had a little retail therapy in mind.
Missy only had her carry-on, but they had to go through baggage claim to retrieve Abby and Sarah Frances’ large mostly empty suitcases. Although this was a serious trip with an important agenda, the ladies from Ecuador hoped to take back a few treasures. Comforts from the old country not available in their new home. They were resolved to do some shopping but only after Colleen was safely at home. They were a striking group. In their early fifties, they had just come into the best time of their lives and the way they carried themselves proved it to anyone who noticed them. Few didn’t notice them. Sarah Frances noticed the looks they were getting.
“Okay girls, we have an audience. Whip out those sunglasses and let’s give them something to wonder about.”
“Missy, do you think there’s a big star watch going on in Memphis?”
“Here, Abby put the glasses on.”
“I’m beginning to feel like Charlie’s Angels or something.”
They descended the escalator to the baggage claim area, all three of them laughing. And then six pairs of eyes connected and the laughing stopped and turned to smoldering embers. Missy, Sarah Frances, and Abby ran into the arms of Frankie, Pierce, and Trent respectively.
“Ouch,” Trent said and he wrapped his bandaged burned arms around Abby.
“Oh I’m so sorry!” she said as she tried to pull back.
But he held her close and said, “It’s okay. Just stand still for a minute. It feels good to have you here, just move slow, please.”
“I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay, it only hurts when I breathe.”
She backed away to look at him and take in his injuries, relieved he seemed to be healing and there wouldn’t be any lasting effects.
Sarah Frances asked, “Is there any news about Colleen since we left?”
“Not yet, but we’re getting close, I can feel it. We have some new information since you ladies began your travels. Let’s get your bags and head to the hotel. Court is waiting there for us and we’ll tell you everything,” Frankie told them.
“Will Tommy be there too? I’m dying to meet him,” Abby asked.
“Um, no. We haven’t told Tommy you were coming yet,” Pierce answered.
“Why? Is there a problem Trent? You don’t want me to meet your brother?” Abby asked.
“Baby doll, it has nothing at all to do with wanting or not wanting you to meet my brother. I’m not sure you want to meet him right now. He’s pretty focused and frustrated beyond measure with this case. He doesn’t like being told he can’t play with the other agents. Logically, he knows it’s the rules and that those same rules are even harder on Court, but he’s still one pissed off bear.”
“Oh, I get it. I understand. And you three are hoping to use the three of us as a distraction to keep working the case. Am I right?” Missy asked, staring at Frankie.
“On the advice of my best friends, I invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment not to answer, on the grounds, I may incriminate myself.”
While at the airport, the men rented two more rental cars. They were thankful for Court’s insight and support of their plan. In an effort to further confuse Tommy, Isabel and anyone else who might be paying attention to the whereabouts of the team, the three men all booked rooms in different hotels. So they each needed a rental car. Now, it would be much easier for one or more of them to slip away, if they felt inclined.
Court wanted to see the ladies, so they had agreed to meet at a restaurant before going to their respective hotels. He was waiting for them in the parking lot. Abby hugged him first and whispered to him how sorry she was for Colleen’s predicament. Missy hugged him and told him they promised not to get in the way of finding Colleen, and Sarah Frances said they just wanted to help if there was anything they could do.
Court told them…you’re being here is a huge help. Especially if you keep Tommy occupied. I have a little sniffing around I want to do. You, ladies, are welcome to spend as much time at the house as you want. Consider it home, but the separate hotel rooms create enough confusion and doubt as well as alibis if needed. He meant the statement to be funny for the ladies sake, but they weren’t fooled for a minute. They nodded their heads with all the solemnity the situation deserved.
Over a late afternoon lunch, Abby, Missy, and Sarah Frances asked questions about what was going on with the case. They had each been getting updates regularly from Trent, Frankie, and Pierce, until the last two days when they were busy with the business of getting to Memphis. Those updates are why they knew it was time to make the trip. The details were getting fewer and farther between and they realized without a word from the men that they were not being allowed to work the case anymore. In one respect that was a relief, as maybe they weren’t in harm’s way, but on the other, no one had a more vested interest in finding Colleen than this group of men. And Tommy too of course.
At that moment, Court’s phone rang, and everyone froze in silence as he answered.
Chapter 54
Good evening, I’m Sheffield Davis reporting from the emergency room at the regional trauma center. As we reported yesterday, the local ER’s have had an insurgence of what appeared to be drug overdose cases. When tox screens came back with low levels of narcotics, medical personnel suspected a new designer drug. We issued warnings yesterday about the symptoms. Late last night officials from the National Institute of Drug Abuse arrived in Memphis to help analyze what could be leading to the deaths of more than thirty people so far in the city. Scientists have finally made the determination, that victims have suffered from Acute Radiation Syndrome. In a press release just moments ago, hospital officials say now they are closer to identifying the source and to find
ing a treatment. Law enforcement has been alerted and are on standby to investigate and locate suspects once the actual substance is identified.
“Hello Horace, it’s Bee Maden calling.”
“Hello, Mrs. Bee. How you doing? I’m so sorry to hear about R.J.’s death. I came to the funeral but I didn’t get a chance to speak to you. I’m sure Mr. Maden is quite saddened to not attend the funeral.”
“Thank you for that Horace. To be honest, I don’t know if Mr. Maden even knows R.J. died. I haven’t talked to him. I filed for divorce, you know.”
“Well, No I didn’t know. Is there something I can help you with Mrs. Bee?”
“Rodney always said if anything ever happened to him, I should call you if I needed anything. He said you could do just about anything needed doing?”
“I’m right pleased to know he thought so much of me, ma’am. I hope I can help.”
“Horace, I would like to know how you feel about my husband? Specifically, I think I can count on you, but is your allegiance to my husband, or to me?”
“Mrs. Bee you sure know how to put a man on the spot, don’tcha?”
“Well, it’s very important to me, Horace.”
“Mrs. Bee, you have always been real good to me, especially after the Mrs. died last year. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“You see, I don’t think Mr. Maden is going to be all that comfortable in the pen. Do you suppose you might have a solution to make his stay a little shorter?”
“Hmm, are you speaking in a hypothetical sense? You know, it sounds like you need me to do something your boys wouldn’t be too keen to do themselves?”
“I think you’re following me just fine Horace. My boys are both gone now, Vance done disappeared after R.J.’s car exploded, so even if he was willing and able he’s not around anymore to follow through with what needs to be done!”
“I got some ideas, Mrs. Bee. I’ll call you tomorrow after I check with some friends of mine.”
“That sounds fine, mighty fine, in fact, Horace.”
Tommy approached the house at 3721 Cherry Avenue slowly and drove past. Damn, I’m too late.
There was a tell-tale black SUV in the driveway, and Tommy knew there were at least two FBI special agents inside talking to Rachel Ford. He wanted to be the one in that house asking the questions. Why was her husband inside an evacuated hospital? Where a bomb exploded? When he was off duty? Tommy was certain this man had something to do with Colleen’s disappearance and he wanted to know if Rachel knew about Colleen. His phone rang.
“Court! I’m working on it. Did you receive a contact from the kidnapper?”
“No, are you there with her?”
“With who, Isabel? No, she went out to the Maden place, I haven’t heard from her.”
“No, Colleen! Are you there with her?”
“Court, what are you talking about?”
“I just got a call, they found Colleen!”
“Where?”
“In the basement at Rachel Ford’s house. We are on the way. She still has the bomb around her neck!”
“I’m here Court, I was outside the house. I didn’t know she was here. I’m on my way inside, I’ll keep her safe until you get here.”
Tommy’s car was only half way out of the road when he slammed the gear shift into park and shut off the ignition at the same time he opened the door and launched out of the SUV running toward the front door.
As Tommy shoved through the wood front door, the top hinge gave way from the brunt force with which he entered the room, and on the other side of the door, was the equivalent of a human train. This guy must be former NFL Tommy would think later, as a swift moving arm stopped his forward motion as effectively as a brick wall. But no one could stop his voice, as the deep base called out, “Colleen!”
He heard her reply, “Tommy! I’m okay, where’s Court?”
Buffalo arms still held Tommy in place so he couldn’t descend the basement stairs so he called out, “On his way, Col. We’re here. You’re going to be okay.”
He glared at Special Agent Linebacker, took a deep breath and relaxed.
“I’m okay, I’m calm. I’m good. Thank you.”
“So you aren’t gonna go all crazy on me if I let you go? No one else is going down there until the bomb techs get here.”
“That would be me. Where is she?” Court asked out of breath.
“No, sir. They told me to be on the lookout for you. They said you can’t be the one.”
“The hell you say. Just try to keep me from my wife!”
Tommy opened his mouth and said, “Court,” but that’s all he was able to say, before agent Linebacker effectively stopped Court too. And then Pierce, Frankie, Trent, Sarah Frances, Missy and Abby ran into each other at the door.
Agent Linebacker said, “Slowly now, everyone back up, out the door and we’ll wait for the techs. She’s just fine right now. But regulations say no one can go down there until the bomb is disabled.
Chapter 55
Bee’s phone rang. She answered it on the third ring, aware from the caller ID it was her younger brother, Vance.
“Hello.”
“Bee, it’s me. Your brother, Vance.”
“Well, I never would have guessed. Are you sure it’s you?”
“Of course, why would you ask that?”
“I just wondered at your announcement. First I can see on my phone it’s you. Secondly, if you said it’s your brother, I would know it’s you, because you are my only brother, and if you said it’s Vance, I would know it’s you because you are the only Vance I know. So I wondered if your lengthy and formal introduction was a means to conceal an imposter.”
“No Bee. It’s really me!”
“So what’s on your mind?”
“I got a letter in the mail today. I’ve been invited to go to Russia and work with the national nuclear physicist there. Can you believe that Bee? How do you think they found little old me in Arkansas? Anyway, I quit my job this morning and I’m getting ready to go. My flight leaves the day after tomorrow. But I’d like to see you before I go. It’s a one year program and you know, at our age and all.”
“Fine, fine, I’d like to see you too. What airport do you leave from?”
“Memphis actually. I’m just trying to decide where to leave my car. Do you have room for it?”
“No, not really Vance. Why don’t I have the girls drive over and pick you up? They can bring you here and we can spend the evening together and tomorrow before your flight. We’ll get you to the airport. They can be there by four this afternoon. I can pick up the kids from school and cook us all a good dinner. Can you be ready by then?”
“Sure, that sounds great. Thanks, Bee.”
Bee hung up and called Valerie.
“Your plan worked. He’ll be ready for you to pick him up by four. Take Xyloh with you. I’ll pick the kids up from school and feed them dinner.”
“Thanks, Mom. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“This is Sheffield Davis reporting with breaking news for WBCT, TV6 Bluff City News. I’m at the Regional Trauma Center where officials just announced that victims dying from what was originally thought to be a designer drug, are actually dying of acute radiation sickness. Further testing has identified the toxin as Polonium 210, a byproduct of nuclear reactions. It’s so difficult to come by that the US government buys a supply from Russia and pays two million dollars a gram for it for testing purposes. A new investigation into where the chemical came from and how it ended up in the illegal drug supply in the city. Medical professionals believe that local supplies of marijuana, cocaine, and crystal meth were somehow tainted with the radioactive poison.”
“Sheffield, Ron Strong here, how many cases have been reported so far?”
“Ron, one hundred and twenty-three confirmed cases so far have been treated among the area hospitals. It’s not known how much of the city’s drugs are tainted, so officials are warning against the use of any illegal drugs at this tim
e.”
“Thank you, Sheffield. This is Ron Strong and this was a WBCT, TV6 Bluff City News breaking news report. We will have more details tonight at six and ten.”
“Hey lover boy,” Bee said into the phone.
“What’s up, my lady love?” Steve Sexton purred back.
“Let’s go on a little getaway tomorrow. What do you think? I know a romantic getaway just outside Nashville. We should go and celebrate my new divorce and talk about when we might say some I do’s together.”
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Do I look like the kind of lady who would tease about such things? Especially at my age? No, I do not. Yes, I’m serious. What do you say, I’ll pick you up about ten.”
“Don’t you want me to drive?”
“No, not this time. I would like to drive. So, I’ll see you at ten. And lover boy, you don’t even need to bring a suitcase. I’ll have everything you need.”
“Okay, rawwrr, I can’t wait to see you.”
Chapter 56
As the MPD Bomb Unit approached 3721 Cherry Avenue, there was such a crowd of people on the front lawn, they thought the press was already on the scene.
“I thought this was a radio silence occasion? How did the press get here so fast?” asked the rookie, driving the unit’s van.
The captain of the unit squinted as they got closer and he recognized Court. “That’s not the press, that’s the husband and a whole bunch of other folks. You guys sit tight and wait for me to signal you. This is going to be a little tricky. Let me smooth some feathers and we will be on our way. Bump the siren just a half measure there, Bob.”
Court looked up when he heard the siren and started toward the van. His old friend Mike exited the van and approached, hand held out in greeting awaiting a handshake.